Shore Leave (Spirk Fanfic)
by Starkerplx
Summary: Spock was firmly grasping the captain's hand, as if it was the only thing keeping Jim's heart rate stable. The normally hyperactive captain was laying lifeless in sickbay, after almost drowning whilst on shore leave. The universe really did seem to have a vendetta against their captain and Spock hadn't been able to do anything about it this time.
1. Chapter 1

Spock was firmly grasping the captain's hand, as if it was the only thing keeping Jim's heart rate stable. The normally hyperactive captain was laying lifeless in sickbay, after almost drowning whilst on shore leave. The universe really did seem to have a vendetta against their captain and Spock hadn't been able to do anything about it this time, Vulcan's cannot swim due to their bone density and he had almost lost the person closest to him because of it.

He took in a deep breath to ground himself and tried to focus on Jim, hoping he could channel healing energies through their connected hands. Joining hands was seen as an intimate act on Vulcan, but most humans did not know the true meaning of it, he assumed anyone observing them would simply think he was deeply concerned for his friend.

The captain and himself were both on the bridge when the familiar intercom whistle came through.

"This is the captain" Jim nonchalantly answered.

"McCoy here. I need to see you and Spock down in the sickbay to discuss the health of two crew members, It's imperative"

"On our way bones. Mr. Sulu you have the conn"

"Aye Sir"

As they entered the turbo-lift, Jim turned to him with a look of concern.

"Who do you think bones is talking about? As far as I know the crew is in tip top shape"

"Captain, I do not see the logic in attempting to theorize when we will be informed in approximately 2.3 minutes when we reach sickbay"

A grin lit up Jim's face as it always did when talking to Spock. He'd only recently noticed this behaviour from the captain and was unsure of what it meant.

"Indeed, Mr. Spock"

Spock had in-fact an inkling of who these "two crew members" were. But decided not to mention it, knowing how the captain would react if he knew.

As they entered sick-bay McCoy instantly shoved a Padd into their hands and directed them to sit down at a nearby table.

"Now I called you down here to discuss the health of two crew members, as you know we are currently orbiting a planet that has been deemed safe for shore leave. However these two crew members are refusing to leave the ship and have not been on shore leave since we left earth! I must demand that they leave right this second for the safety of the crew"

"Indeed McCoy, who are these crew members? I will command them to leave right this moment"

A smirk crept on McCoy's face.

"If you turn on the Padd's I have provided you with, it has all the details"

Spock and Jim turned on their Padd's simultaneously and were both greeted with direct orders from the ship's doctor to take mandatory shore leave, effective immediately.  
Jim groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Is this really necessary bones? I feel fine"

"It definitely is Jim. You are Mr. "I feel fine" who then collapses on me because you decided to hide god knows what illness from me! And Mr "Vulcan's don't need rest" over here isn't getting out of it either, I know he needs rest too damn it!"

"Fine, fine we're leaving! Com'on Spock we don't need him" He wrapped an arm around Spock's shoulders, drawing him closer. Vulcan's normally don't like physical interaction but he made an exception for Jim, it seemed to give the captain some kind of comfort.

"Actually Jim, I'll be joining you both." The doctor's smirk grew larger.

"Ugh, wait don't tell me- you are babysitting me"

"What!? No! What do you take me for! I haven't had a chance to get shore leave either you know, with all these medical emergencies. Though it wouldn't be a bad thing for me to be there either, knowing you you are probably allergic to the native species of plant or something"

On one hand Spock was a little disappointed that McCoy would be joining them, he was looking forward to the opportunity of having some alone time with the Captain and perhaps getting to know him better. On the other hand, the doctor was right; Jim is allergic to approximately 457 things, as of present, it wouldn't be a bad thing to have him along, especially knowing the captain's ability to get himself into trouble.

"I am glad you will be joining us Doctor"

McCoy's smirk was now a full blown smile.

"See! Even Mr Hobgoblin knows what I am talking about"

The captain looked at Spock and feigned a pout before bursting into laughter along with doctor McCoy. Spock merely stood there and observed them, he wasn't too sure why what he had said was considered "funny" As the laughter died down Jim clapped a hand onto both of their backs.

"I'll see you both in the transporter room in 15 minutes, last one there is a rotten egg!"

"Captain, I fail to see how being the "last one there" will result in one of us becoming a decayed ovum"

Jim burst out into laughter again. Sometimes it wasn't necessarily that he hadn't understood the euphemism, but simply because he wanted to see his captain laugh.

"It's an earth saying Spock, don't worry about it" Jim flashed a toothy smile at him.

Spock arrived first to the transporter room, he predicted this would be the case considering how disorganized Jim could be and McCoy was most likely preparing medical supplies for their trip. As he positioned himself onto the transporter pad, Jim entered the room. Spock noticed that the captain's eyes seem to light upon noticing him.

"Spock! Guess you didn't want to be a rotten egg huh?"

"Captain, I merely happened to get here before you as a result of my efficiency to pack my belongings"

"Whoa! No need for insults, I know I'm not the most organised guy, besides I got here before McCoy! Also we are off duty now so I am "Jim" to you"

"J-Jim" Spock whispered, testing how the word felt on his tongue.

Jim smiled in response and Spock could feel his blue eyes piercing into him. He suddenly felt his cheeks burning and glanced away.

Spock was glad when a rather disgruntled McCoy entered into the room struggling to carry 2 large bags. He loudly let out a sigh and eye-roll as he looked up and realised he was last.

"Oh great, you are never going to let this go are you Jim?"

"Nope! You are the rotten egg!" Jim teased.

McCoy sighed and took his place on the transport pad behind Jim and Spock.

"I couldn't help it! I had to make sure I packed all the medical equipment that I might need. You never know what might happen in this god forsaken place, especially with you Jim"

Jim let out a laugh and signaled to the ensign behind the transporter controls to beam them down.

"Thanks doc"


	2. Chapter 2

They had beamed down onto was a fiery red beach that seemed to stretched for miles. The plant life surrounding the area was painted in vivid shades of purple, however the ocean was still a familiar deep blue colour. Spock noted it was a lot like earth, with the exception of no lifeforms. The captain excitedly dropped his bag next to him and made a run for the water, tearing off his shirt in the process.

"Jim! Get your ass back here and put on sunscreen, I'm not gonna let you get sunburnt on my watch" The doctor yelled out.

Jim pouted and slowly made his way back up the beach towards them, as McCoy rummaged around in his bag to pull out the bottle of sunscreen. Spock started setting up the chairs and an umbrella for shade, seeing as he wouldn't be swimming.

"Now for the love of god Jim, stay away from the plant life and anything that looks remotely dangerous, got it?"

"I'll be fine bones!"

After having thoroughly coating himself in the sunscreen, Jim grinned and gave them both a thumbs up as he ran into the water. McCoy rolled his eyes and leaned back onto his chair.

"Thanks Spock for setting everything up and make sure the idiot doesn't hurt himself alright? I'm gonna take a well earned nap"

Spock nodded in reply and returned his gaze to the captain, he was splashing around in the water occasionally waving back towards them. Spock told himself he was only watching the captain so intently to make sure nothing happened, but he couldn't stop himself from admiring Jim. His golden tanned skin was glistening in the water and he could see the outline of well defined muscles, not to mention his beautiful icy eyes, he was drawn to him and unable to escape.

He must have gotten lost in his thoughts as Jim was suddenly stood in front of him, water dripping from his dirty blond hair onto the red sand below.

"Spock! Come play with me, It's boring by myself" There he was with his signature grin again, you couldn't deny it.

"Captain, Let me remind you that I am a Vulcan, I cannot swim"

He watched as Jim's grin turned into a frown and quickly switched back again.

"Then build a sandcastle with me! And it's Jim, remember?"

Spock raised an eyebrow but made no argument against it.

"That is... acceptable, Jim"

Jim had to teach him how to make a sandcastle, as that was not a favourable past time back on Vulcan, but he enjoyed seeing Jim smile. They had even exchanged a few stories from their childhood, though Spock's were very different in comparison.

"Phew! That was a lot of work, but it looks great, right Spock?"

Spock acknowledged him with a nod. After a few hours they had built a reasonable size sandcastle, made in the appearance of their beloved ship the enterprise.

"Let's get a drink and go for a stroll, I wanna check out this planet some more"

Jim grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and handed it to him, before getting one for himself. For a while they walked along the beach silently observing their surroundings, occasionally sharing glances at one another. When they were a reasonable distance away from where they had started, they had climbed on top of a large dune to get a better view of their surroundings on the strange coloured planet.

"Actually Spock there was something I wanted to tell you. I'm really glad we are on shore leave together, even if it was forced onto us by a certain grouch" A reddish tinge appeared on Jim's cheeks, but he dismissed it as mild sunburn, he should have made Jim wear a hat.

"I agree cap- Jim, I feel it has been beneficial for us all"

Jim shot him a grin before giving him a quick pat on the back.

"Well let's head back before you-know-who wakes up and has a heart attack because we are missing!"

As they walked back, Spock couldn't help but wonder why Jim seemed to want to be close to him today. Surely McCoy would be a better person to ask to be involved in human leisure activities, perhaps it was simply because he wanted to let the doctor get some rest. When they arrived back the doctor was still asleep, seemingly confirming his theory.

"Hah! The old man really needed a rest huh? I'm gonna go for another swim to cool down, wanna join me?"

"Ca-Jim must I remind you that I cannot swim?"

"You don't have to go swimming! Just put your feet in!"

He raised an eyebrow but he followed Jim down to the edge of the water. He had to admit the water was pleasantly cooling on his feet in comparison to the almost scorching sand. He watched as Jim ran ahead of him and dove into an incoming wave, his golden hair breaking the surface on the other side. He noticed he was swimming further out than he had earlier that day, Spock's gut twisted knowing if something happened he couldn't reach him. Jim waved to him and he felt a small relief, before seeing a wave crash down on top of him and push him under. He waited tensely for Jim to emerge but seconds had passed and he wasn't coming up, how long could he hold his breath?

"Jim!"

He wasn't sure why he called out, it wasn't logical, he surely couldn't hear him, perhaps to reassure himself. He could feel his blood pressure rising and his heart beating faster beneath his skin, something was wrong.

"DOCTOR!"

McCoy was startled awake and jumped out his seat, immediately racing over to Spock.

"What's the problem Spock? Where's Jim?"

"Doctor, the captain was swimming and was pulled under by a wave and has not emerged in approximately 80 seconds"

"My god man why didn't yo- Shit Vulcan's can't swim"

McCoy wasted no time running into the water and swimming a reasonable distance out before diving under. Spock hated that he couldn't do anything but wait, he decided the best course of action was to bring the doctor's medical bag down to the shore. As he returned with the bag he was relieved to see McCoy now dragging Jim back with him through the water, his relief soon vanished when he saw how lifeless the captain was in his arms.

He quickly waded as deep as he could into the water to help McCoy, Vulcan's are stronger than humans after all.

"Take him!" the doctor yelled.

Spock swiftly took Jim from the doctor, he was surprised how light he felt in his arms, he carried him out of the water and laid him gently onto the shore. He had to push down the panic rising inside of him, seeing how Jim's once golden skin was now pale and his lips turning blue. The doctor was soon behind him, examining Jim with a tricorder he had grabbed from the bag.

"It looks like he had an allergic reaction, give me a hyper spray with 50cc cortisone!"

Spock grabbed the hypo-spray from the medical bag and handed it to McCoy, he was glad he had the foresight to bring it down.

"God damn it Jim, what did I say!?" He quickly injected the hypo into Jim's neck.

"He has no pulse! I need to do CPR, contact the ship!"

Trying to remain calm as the doctor began CPR on Jim, he opened his communicator.

"Spock to Enterprise, Come in Enterprise"

"Uhura here, what do you need Mr. Spock?"

"The captain has a medical emergency beam us up immediately"

"Yes sir"

A few seconds later they were back on the transporter pad and Jim was being whisked away on a medical bed. Spock had been left alone in the transporter room, his chest felt tight not knowing if Jim would live or die. He had to know. Not caring that his uniform was soaking wet he began running down to sickbay, he had to be there for Jim.


	3. Chapter 3

As Spock entered sickbay he frantically looked around to find Jim, but couldn't find him in any of the beds, his breath caught in his throat. Suddenly McCoy came out of a closed door and laid his eyes upon him, he seemed to make a decision to ignore the fact that Spock was dripping water all over his sickbay and instead seemed to notice how tense he was. The doctor came over to him and laid a firm hand, for a second, on his shoulder, an act of reassurance?

"He's fine Spock, I've got him stabilized."

He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and nodded his head.

"Turns out the idiot was allergic to the seaweed, god damn seaweed! He must have got caught in it when the wave pushed him under. I swear he's gonna give me a heart attack one of these days"

"When can I see him doctor?"

"I've got him knocked out on painkillers right now, but he should start to wake up in around an hour. If you go change your clothes and stop leaving puddles in my sickbay you can go sit with him. Someone needs to watch the halfwit and I'm sure he'd rather you were there, than someone unfamiliar."

Looking the doctor up and down he could see he hadn't changed his clothes either, his hair still damp and wet clothes underneath his medical scrubs. He really did care for Jim.

"Doctor, I am not the only one leaving so called "puddles" in the sick bay"

"Yeah yeah smart ass, I'll stay with him while you change and then we'll switch okay? As much as I wish I could stay with him, right now I gotta write a whole medical report on what happened"

Spock simply nodded in reply and left sickbay to return to his quarters. The panic inside of him had subsided but was now replaced with a growing anxious need to see the captain as soon as possible. He was certain only Jim could elicit such a response inside of him. After quickly changing into a dry uniform he headed back down to sickbay.

He knocked on the closed door, that McCoy had come out of earlier, before entering. The room was dimly lit but he could see the doctor was administering an IV into Jim's right hand. The doctor glanced towards him.

"Just giving him something to keep him from getting dehydrated. His throat swelled up pretty badly due to reaction, so it will probably be too sore to drink anything"

Spock seated himself on the left side of Jim. He couldn't help but notice that he looked so peaceful when he was sleeping, it was a stark comparison to the normally hyperactive captain that he was used to.

"Will he be ok doctor?"

"Believe me, he's been through much worse. He might have a couple of cracked ribs and a sore throat but he'll be fine in a few days"

"I'm glad to hear the captain is not badly injured"

McCoy was about to leave the room before pausing and looking back over his shoulder towards Spock.

"Oh and Spock, thanks for doing this for me. I don't trust anyone else to look after him in my absence, just make sure he doesn't try to remove his IV and don't let him talk to much when he wakes up, okay? And Spock…. It wasn't yo-"

"I know Doctor, thank you. I will make sure he does not injure himself further"

McCoy rolled his eyes and he watched as the door closed behind the doctor, his attention returned back to Jim. He found himself wanting to reach out, to hold his hand, he hesitated. Was it to comfort Jim or himself? Perhaps both? Did the captain even know what hand holding meant to a Vulcan? It didn't seem to matter as Spock found himself firmly grasping Jim's hand and he didn't want to let go, he was afraid if he did that he might lose him. After all the universe really did seem to have a vendetta against him.

He took a deep breath to ground himself and tried to focus on Jim, hoping he could channel healing energies through their connected hands. Even though he was using shielding techniques he could feel Jim's mind gently pushing against his. It wasn't a full meld of course, he'd never do that without permission, but this still was rather intimate. A few of Jim's stronger thoughts slipped through the shield; _Choking,Scared,Spock,help._

Spock wasn't sure how to react to the fact that Jim must have been thinking of him in that moment. He tried to return calming thoughts to reassure the captain; _Calm,Safe,Relax,Home._

He wasn't sure how much time had passed but when Jim began to stir he quickly pulled his hand away. Spock intently watched Jim's face waiting for him to awake. He was greeted by brilliant blue eyes staring back at him and a signature grin.


	4. Chapter 4

"Spck"

"Don't try to talk Captain, you had an allergic reaction"

Jim frowned and then mimicked writing with his hands. Spock handed him his own Padd and observed as he hastily scribbled something across the screen of the device, just as Jim was handing him back the Padd McCoy walked in.

"Nice to see sleeping beauty is finally awake. He wasn't too much trouble I take it?"

"Bnes!" The captain let out excitedly

"Hey! No talking coming from you" McCoy answered

"He has just awoken Doctor"

McCoy seem to check some stats on a nearby machine and when satisfied turned his attention back to Jim.

"Now Jim when I said you were probably allergic to the plant life, that was a joke not a challenge"

Jim let out a stifled laugh and motioned for Spock to hand him back the Padd. He was writing something again, Spock wondered what he had written earlier before they were interrupted. The Padd was handed to the doctor this time and he let out a sigh upon reading it, he could only guess what it had said.

"I know you hate sickbay's Jim but I'm gonna have to keep you here overnight"

The captain violently shook his head and reached for the Padd again, quickly writing down another message and handing it back. Was Jim afraid of sickbay? And why? This time McCoy had shot Spock a look whilst reading and let out another sigh. Was it about him?

"Fine fine, I'll talk to pointy ears about it for ya, but I make no promises! Spock let's go to my office, we need to have a discussion"

A smile appeared back on Jim's face. Spock didn't want to leave him alone, but he was also curious about the message.

"I'll be back shortly Captain"

He followed McCoy into his office, it was neat and sterile just as he had expected. He didn't want to waste any time making small talk, so he cut right to the point.

"What is this about Doctor?"

McCoy let out another sigh and rubbed a hand against his temple before running it through his hair.

"The captain. Jim. When he was a child he went through some abuse, some fucked up shit. I don't even know the full extent of it, he won't tell me. But it's made him scared to death of sickbay's or any medical attention in fact. It's a cruel joke ya'know? Considering how often he ends up in here. I was kinda relieved when you agreed to sit with him, didn't want him waking up alone or with a random nurse."

Spock felt his blood start to boil, how dare someone hurt the captain and to make him not feel safe in the one place he should! He nodded his head to indicate that he was listening and for McCoy to continue.

"Anyway I would really rather he stayed here overnight for observation, but as you saw he was very against the idea. In-fact he suggested that he went back to his quarters and had you watch over him instead" McCoy let out a small laugh and shook his head in disbelief.

The captain trusted him that much? When he thought about it they had grown rather close recently. In any case, it was his duty as both friend and first officer to protect the captain.

"I do not mind that arrangement doctor. It is my duty as first officer to protect the captain"

McCoy seemed shocked at his statement, but he appeared to release any tension he was holding.

"You're a good friend Spock, you can go tell him the good news. But if anything and I mean ANYTHING happens to Jim you call me. Got it?"

"Of course Doctor, it would be illogical not to"

After being treated with another eye-roll he left the doctor's office.

Stepping back into Jim's room he found a nurse removing the IV from his hand, Jim looked rigid and his muscles were strained, as if he was holding himself back.

"Captain"

Jim looked up and his whole body seemed to relax. Spock felt a small guilt inside of him for having left him alone, despite him originally not knowing how Jim felt about sickbay. The captain gave him a small head tilt, as if questioning him, but Spock waited until the nurse had left to speak.

"Doctor McCoy has given me permission to take you back to your quarters. However I must stay and observe you for the next 24 hours"

Jim's eyes lit up upon hearing this and he rapidly attempted to get out of the medical bed, however instead of standing up he fell forwards out of the bed clutching at his ribs. Spock quickly maneuvered himself to catch him before he hit the floor. Jim looked up at him in surprise and relaxed into his grasp before finding his balance.

"Captain, I believe it might be best if I help you"

Jim nodded his head in agreement and let Spock sit him back down onto the bed. Spock then realised the captain was still only wearing a medical gown and he certainly wouldn't want to walk the corridors in that attire.

"Let me find you a suitable change of clothes"

Jim looked down at himself as if only realizing the same thing. Spock walked over to the closet situated in the corner of room and pulled out a set of standard issue clothing, which consisted of all black T-shirt, trousers and boxer briefs. He handed them to Jim before turning around to give him some privacy. After a few minutes he heard the captain speak.

"Spck"

He turned around to find the captain still shirtless, he felt his ears take on a dark green tinge at the unexpected sight.

"Nd hlp, my rbs"

He deduced that the captain's ribs must be reason he couldn't put his shirt on and stepped forward to help him. He was so close to him, almost leaning against him, he could feel Jim's breath on his neck as he carefully helped him to slip his arms through the shirt. He pulled the T-shirt down the captain's torso, stealing a glance, before quickly turning away to compose himself.

"I believe you are now suitable to leave sickbay"

Now there was the task of getting Jim back to his quarters, he could barely stand let alone walk. He didn't think the captain would appreciate being carried through the corridors for everyone to see either. Jim had seemed to know what he was thinking about, because he stood up by himself.

"Itss ok, I cn wlk"

He wasn't certain if he fully believed him, but he understood. The captain didn't want the crew to see him in a weakened state, he had a certain image to maintain. He decided to let him walk unaided back to his quarters, but kept a close eye on him in case he needed to step in and help him.

As soon as the doors of the captain's quarters closed Jim practically collapsed to the floor.

"Jim!"

Although he had foreseen this happening, it had occurred sooner than he had expected. Without thinking he had lunged forward and swept Jim up into his arms.

"yu sd my nme" Jim grinned, seemingly ignoring the fact that he was now in Spock's arms.

Spock felt his cheeks become warmer and instead tried to focus on putting the captain down onto his bed.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm gd"

After making sure Jim was settled comfortably in his bed, he pulled over a chair to sit next to him. Finally being able to sit down and relax he realized how fast his heart was beating, no wonder the doctor always said Jim was going to give him a heart attack.

"I will be here if you need anything captain"

"Thks Spck, Gd'nght"

"Good night Captain"


	5. Chapter 5

Spock gazed upon the sleeping captain for quite some time, watching his chest rise and fall. He felt a sense of admiration for the man laying in front of him, he silently suffers through so many things but puts it all aside just to make sure the crew is taken care of first. He vowed to keep a closer eye on the captain in the future, if Jim wasn't going to look after himself then someone had to.

He didn't feel tired so he decided to meditate instead, it had been a rather stressful day after all, he let himself sink into his thoughts being guided by Jim's quiet breathing. A few hours later Spock was now drawn out of his meditative state by the change in Jim's breathing, it had become rapid and irregular. He quickly stood up as the captain was now whimpering, tossing and turning in his bed. He realised that he must be having a nightmare, he reached his hand out to wake him but hesitated when the captain abruptly called out.

"PLEASE, NO! STOP"

Was he having a nightmare about his former abuse? He felt the anger rise inside of him again but pushed it away. He didn't want to see Jim suffer so he decided it was best to wake him. As he went to put his hand on Jim's shoulder his wrist was suddenly grabbed and he was forcefully pulled on top of him. The captain had him in a vice grip and images were flashing through his mind. _child starving, doctors experimenting on him, blood, drowning, pain, too much pain._

"Captain!"

Jim awoke in sweat and tears, gasping for air, he unexpectedly leapt forward and pulled Spock into a tight embrace, his fingers were digging into his back. He was unsure of what to do, Jim was now crying uncontrollably on his shoulder and nothing had prepared him for this. He opted to running his hand soothingly along Jim's back and started a Vulcan purring technique that was known to have healing properties. A few minutes past and the captain seemed to have calmed down, his breathing was returning to normal.

"A-Are you purring Spock?" Jim murmured into his chest

Heat flashed in Spock's cheeks again, outsiders were not meant to know of this technique.

"Yes Captain, it is considered an ancient healing method on Vulcan"

Jim let out a small muffled laugh.

"I like it"

Spock's face was now definitely a striking shade of dark green. He decided to try and divert the topic.

"Are you ok captain?"

"I'm fine now Spock, thanks" He said as he pulled away from their embrace.

As the captain laid back down to rest, he suddenly shot back up again as if remembering something.

"Wait are you okay? You're a touch telepath and I totally just touched you all over!"

Jim was the one that was having a such a terrible nightmare yet now he was showing him concern, he really is too good for this universe.

"I am fine, as I told you earlier I have shielding techniques. You did not harm me"

A small bending of the truth perhaps? He had not been harmed, but his shields certainly hadn't been up when his wrist was grabbed.

"That's good, I was worried there for a second. Hey can I ask yo- Never mind it's dumb, sorry forget I said anything"

"What is it Captain? Whatever it is I assure you it not "dumb" I would like to hear it"

"Can you…. Sleep with me? Wait no not like that, I mean like lay next to me and uh maybe do the purring thing again? It was actually kinda relaxing"

Spock was surprised but had no objections, for at that moment he felt a strong need to protect Jim.

"Of course Jim"

He climbed into the bed next to him and wrapped an arm around Jim's waist, pulling him closer. Their warmth was now one and he began purring softly into his ear, he felt Jim relax into him as he closed his eyes. Perhaps he would sleep tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

Spock awoke to find himself in a tangled mess of Jim's limbs, according to his internal clock it still was in the early hours of the morning. Jim's head was nestled in the crook of his neck and he was being held firmly in place. He could feel the heat radiating from the captain's body against him, it was almost uncomfortably warm, was Jim sick? He lifted up a hand to Jim's forehead to find it was hot and sticky, Spock almost frowned upon this discovery.

He carefully began to untangle himself, upon realizing the implications of their position. He wasn't sure what had come over him the night before, he only knew that Jim had stirred strong emotions inside of him, he would have to meditate later. He was relieved to find that Jim had not awoken, despite all of the shifting, it would spare them both from any embarrassment. As he stepped out of the bed he straightened out his uniform, he had not yet had time to return to his quarters for a change of clothing and also had not wanted to sleep indecently next to the captain. Conveniently their quarters were adjoined via a shared bathroom, so it would be no problem retrieving anything he may need later in the day.

For now he strode over to the comm on the wall, it would be best to first contact doctor McCoy.

"Spock to McCoy"

A displeased groan was heard and a few seconds passed before he got a response, he must have been asleep.

"McCoy here, is there a problem?"

"I thought it would be best to inform you that the captain seems to be running a fever"

"I'll be right there"

The comm line cut off and he returned to his chair next to Jim to await the doctor. A few moment later the door chimed.

"Come in"

The chime seemed to have woken the captain as he now blinked his eyes open, blearily looking around the room before spotting the doctor.

"Bones! What are you doing here?"

"Checking in on you idiot, Spock said you might have a fever"

"I feel fine bones, you didn't need to come"

"If that was true you wouldn't be laying in that bed looking like a bloody mess, now let me examine you"

Spock watched as the doctor pulled out his medical tricorder and scanned the captain over whilst Jim crossed his arms in defiance.

"Well the good thing is your throat is almost healed. However pointy ears is correct, you are running a low fever. I'm gonna have to give you a hypo"

Jim let out a sigh and turned his neck towards the doctor, Spock noticed how his whole body tensed and his face cringed when the hypo came closer. He wanted so desperately to protect Jim that he found himself letting out a small growl.

Both men looked over at him surprise and Spock decided to try feign a cough hoping they wouldn't notice.

"Spock, did you just….. growl?" The captain had a look of shock and amusement on his face.

"I believe you are mistaken captain, I was merely clearing my throat"

"Bones! You heard it too right? He totally growled because of you!"

"Yeah yeah Jim, don't think you can distract me. You're not getting out of this one"

The doctor swiftly applied the hypo and Jim quickly flinched away rubbing at his neck.

"Ow! You could have been more gentle"

"It's your fault for moving, now lay down and get some god damn rest, your ribs still aren't fully healed"

"But boneeees, I need to get back to the bridge"

"The bridge will still be there in a few days, now doctors orders: Rest!"

The captain frowned but seemed to give up on the argument. McCoy obviously satisfied with Jim's lack of feedback, turned to address Spock.

"Spock do you mind looking after him a little longer? I can take you off ship duty as well, I'd feel better with someone watching him"

"That will be no problem at all doctor"

McCoy grinned and turned to leave.

"Have fun you two. Let me know If you need me"

The door swished closed behind him, leaving them alone together, Spock looked back over to the captain who appeared to be falling asleep again. He went to the bathroom and brought back a cool damp wash-cloth, gently wiping Jim's sweat away before applying it to his forehead.

"Thks spck" Jim mumbled out sleepily

Spock decided to use the time while the captain was sleeping to meditate once again, however he wasn't sure if it was helping since Jim was still a dominate thought in his mind. After a couple of hours of meditation he decided to take a shower and finally change out of his uniform, he changed into less formal clothing considering he wasn't on duty, opting to wear a similar standard outfit to that of which Jim was wearing.

He was glad to see Jim was still asleep when he entered back into the room. He sat himself once again in the chair next to the bed and pulled out his padd, he figured as there wasn't much else to do he might as well go through some reports. Idly scrolling through reports he remembered the message that Jim had written him in sickbay, he hadn't gotten the chance to read it. Surely it must still be on there? He checked the file log and found the one Jim had been writing on. Upon reading the message he almost dropped his padd - "Was that you I felt with me in my mind?"

How was that possible? Humans are meant to be psy-null, although a few rare individuals did have psychic abilities. Jim must be one of them. He didn't know what to do with this information, he wasn't even sure if Jim knew of his own capability. He was distracted from his thoughts by the captain stretching awake beside him.


	7. Chapter 7

"Still working hard huh?" Jim asked whilst pushing himself up into a sitting position. Spock could see him wince in pain and he resisted the urge to help him.

"I was just checking if any reports required my immediate attention, captain"

"How is she? The ship I mean."

"She is doing perfectly fine captain"

"Ah that's good. I can't help but worry about everyone you know?"

"Captain, I-"

Spock was suddenly found himself uncertain of what he wanted to say, all of these feelings and thoughts were becoming mixed up inside of him.

"Spock?"

"Captain, I wanted to tell you how much I regret not being able to rescue you while your life was in danger, perhaps if I had taken more precautions…."

"Spock" Jim's voice softened

"It's not your fault. It anything it's mine, I swam out too far and bones did tell me to stay away from the plant life, though I'm not quite sure if seaweed counts. If anything I feel bad that you had to watch. Besides! You basically did save me, you alerted bones right?"

Spock silently nodded in agreement but he still felt an ache inside of him.

"By the way… do Vulcan's really purr? I think I had a crazy dream"

His ears began burning again, Jim thinks it was all a dream.

"Indeed we do captain"

"OH so that means….."

They were both blushing now and Spock was unsure of what to do in this situation.

"Spock, I...I think I love you"

Jim loves him? Where did that come from? His heart began beating rapidly and the room started to spin, none of this was logical. The corners of his vision were turning black and he felt himself falling forwards towards the ground.

"Shit!" Jim reached out to grab him but ended up falling out of the bed instead, landing next to Spock.

"Ow. Well that didn't go as I planned. Are you okay Spock?"

"I am fine captain. Are you hurt? You should not have attempted to grab me"

Jim burst out laughing and Spock blushed in return.

"Ow my ribs, sorry I deserve that. It's just I didn't think you'd pass out from me telling you"

"I did not pass out from your "declaration" I simply have not eaten in the past two days since your incident occurred"

He wasn't actually sure if that was the real reason, but he needed to change the subject. Jim's face turned serious.

"Why haven't you eaten anything?"

"I've found myself unable to leave your side, I feel I must make sure you are safe"

"Well as your captain I command you to go eat something right now"

Spock raised an eyebrow, they were still laying on the floor and he was sure Jim needed help getting up.

"But C-"

"No buts!"

"Jim I will eat, however let me help you first"

Jim seemed to think about it for a second before acknowledging that he did in-fact need help.

"Deal, but only because you used my name" He grinned.

Spock put an arm underneath his legs and one around Jim's waist, swiftly lifting him into his arms; he was just as light as he remembered. After putting Jim down onto the bed he walked over to the replicator.

"One plomeek soup and one chicken soup"

In a matter of seconds the soups appeared before him. He picked up the chicken soup and carefully took it over to Jim before taking his own soup, from the replicator, and sitting back in his chair.

"Thanks, I guess I haven't eaten either huh?" Jim said before putting a spoonful of the soup into his mouth

"I have heard chicken soup is an earth favourite for when one is sick"

"I'm surprised you remembered that"

"You forget I am half-human captain, my mother made me a vegetarian version when I was a child and ill"

Jim let out a laugh.

"Vegetarian chicken soup?"

"As you know Vulcan's cannot eat animal products, however I assume my mother wanted me to experience things from her home planet"

"Ah that makes sense, It's kinda sweet actually"

After finishing their soups Spock put the empty bowls back into the replicator. With nothing to distract them both he was left to face the quiet tension in the room. Jim seemed to pick up on his apprehension.

"I guess I should explain myself, will you hear me out?"

"It would be illogical not to"

Jim smiled at his comment.

"Maybe it seems sudden but this whole thing has made me realise that you are the one person who is always by my side. You are one of the only people I can trust with my life. Even now you are still by my side and in sickbay…. Forgive me if I am wrong, but I felt you there in my mind and I could feel how much you truly care for me."

"It is true captain, I was with you. However I did not know that you were not psy-null"

"What does psy-null mean?"

"Human's are known as a psy-null species, they cannot communicate through telepathy. They can of course send and receive messages via touch with a telepath, however the fact that you could sense me in your mind, gives me the belief that you have a greater psychic ability than the average human. Of course I cannot fully verify this without attempting a mind meld"

"Meld with me"

"Captain…. A meld would mean that we would become one mind. I do not believe you are ready for it"

He could see a sadness in Jim's eyes, perhaps he saw it as a rejection.

"However we could do a slightly less invasive telepathic link via hand holding"

His eyes lit up again. Maybe this was a chance to figure out his feelings once and for all about Jim.

"Wait, don't Vulcan's kiss via hands?"

Spock's cheeks began burning.

"Indeed"

He said as he reached for Jim's hand, who met him half way with a huge grin on his face.


End file.
